Bijbehara Gunfight: Police Version

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Wednesday issued following statement regarding Bijbehara gunfight saying that on a credible input, a cordon and search operation was launched in Pazalpora area of Bijbehara in District Anantnag.

“During the search operation, the hiding militants fired on the search party. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter,” said police spokesman in a statement.

He said that in the ensuing encounter, three militants were killed and the bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter.

“All the slain militants as per police records were affiliated with proscribed outfit LeT and were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of crimes including attack on security establishments and civilian atrocities,” he added.

According to the police records, all of them had a history of crime cases and were part of groups involved in planning & executing attacks in the area and many other civilian atrocities, said the spokesman.

As per the records available with police, Nasir Gulzar was involved in case FIR No. 84/2018 of PS Achabal Anantnag pertaining to attack at police guard Khulchora Ranipora Achabal on 07 September 2018, he said.

Aaqib Ahmad Hajam was also involved in planning and executing series of attacks on security establishments and many other civilian atrocities in the area. He was involved in case FIR NO. 23/2017, 16/2019, 28/2019 and 31/2019. Similarly Zahid Hussain Lone was part of groups responsible for attacks in the area, he added.

“Incriminating material including arms & ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. All these materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other crimes,” he further said.

“People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitized and cleared of all the explosives materials if any,” said police spokesman in a statement.